Aidoghie Paulinus, Abuja
The Federal Government, has commended Singapore’s Supreme Court over its decision to free a Nigerian on death row.
In a statement in Abuja, the acting spokesperson, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Friday Akpan said the Nigerian, Mr. Adili Chibuike Ejike, was arrested in 2011 and earlier sentenced to death for importing nearly two kilogramme of methamphetamine into the country.
He added that Ejike was granted an acquittal by the Singaporean apex court on Monday and released with no outstanding charges.
“According to the High Commission of Nigeria in Singapore, Ejike’s acquittal made history as the first time such a decision was made in a case involving any Nigerian.
“He was discharged and acquitted based on the fact that the prosecution had failed to establish that Ejike knew that the drug bundles in his suitcase were in his possession. This was because, he pleaded not guilty of wilful blindness or deliberately shutting his eyes to the truth of his possession of the drugs,” he said.
During the trial, Akpan said the prosecutor focused on his knowledge of the substance.
On the other hand, the defence claimed he had no knowledge of the substance, the prosecutor claimed he knew about it. This Akpan said was responsible for the landmark judgment that secured the freedom of the Nigerian.